Steps to Recovery
by annaoi
Summary: Diana helps Bruce recover from his injuries
1. Step 1 - Eat a Lot of Fruit

_Author's Note:_

_This is just some simple story I dreamed about a few days ago. It took place before 'Eye Spy'. You might find some scenes a bit cliche-ish but I hope it's at least a satisfactory story for you. _

* * *

"Good to have you back, Bruce"

The familiar voice pierced through his ears like a ringing alarm clock. It's not like the voice was loud or anything; it's just that the headache that came after opening his eyes made his environment harsher to his senses. It's one of those cases that he wished he was invulnerable as the man standing at the end of his bed.

Clark, in his Superman persona, smiled friendly like he always did. He was the first one to visit Bruce in the Watchtower's health ward. Feeling the bandages itch a little, Bruce sat up. His pain was not as subdued as he expected. Sweat began to form on his forehead.

"Don't push yourself just yet" said the Kryptonian while he sat on the stool at the side of the chair.

Bruce hated being in hospitals. He hated that he's got an IV attached to his vein. He hated the cast on his right leg. He hated how Clark would try to cheer him up. Because there is not a thing that could cheer him up right now, especially that he almost died while trying to save Gotham from the monster called Doomsday.

Unfortunately for him in that incident, the rest of the League had to fight a dozen more of the monster's clone. In short, he was left all alone to face the monster that rivaled Superman's strength. And then, he ended up here

"Quite a fight yesterday, huh" said Clark.

Since the cowl was gone, Bruce's scowl was more visible than ever.

"Quite disappointing indeed" he responded with a bit of a strain to his voice.

"You punish yourself too much" the man of steel suggested, "You should be proud that you _alone_ defeated Doomsday. "

Batman glared.

"I remember him crushing my bones after destroying almost half of my city and-"

"And yet you stopped him" Clark interrupted.

The Batman did stop the monster all by himself. If it weren't for the device that created boom tubes, his whole city would have been pulverized. Painfully, he had to lure it to the portal that led anyone entering it to another distant planet.

The man on the hospital bed didn't talk after hearing Superman's words. The pain from his broken ribs (and probably from a ruptured spleen) was resurfacing. Closing his eyes, Bruce went to meditation to soothe it by inhaling from his nostrils and exhaling through his mouth. When he opened his eyes again, Clark frowned with concern.

"You can request pain killers from J'onn"

"I can handle it" he growled.

Then Superman stood up and gave another friendly smile. Bruce knew that Clark knew him too well to react sensitively.

"Of course you can handle it" he muttered, "Well then, I gotta get going. More clean-up to do in Metropolis, New York, Boston and Gotham. We'll take care of everything, Bruce. Don't worry."

Finally, the Kryptonian walked to the door and closed it shut. Even though he's completely alone in the room, the scowl didn't diminish. Bruce intended to be in a bad mood for the rest of his recovery.

Before the five minute mark was indicated on the clock, someone knocked on his door. He didn't want to welcome whoever's behind it.

"It's me" said a woman's voice.

The door opened and revealed a beautiful woman with black flowing hair. Her ocean colored eyes made Bruce lessen his hardened expression. He didn't think that the sight of Wonder Woman would make him feel almost at ease. Now, he was wrong. He loved seeing her and hated how she made this effect on him at the same time.

Carrying a basket full of fruits on one hand, the Amazonian princess approached him and sat on Clark's stool. As she placed the basket on the side table, the gold and silver in her uniform shined from the room's fluorescent lights.

"How's the leg?" she asked with a small smile.

The Batman wanted to stay angry. He tried so hard to fuel it...

He just...

...couldn't.

Not in front of her.

"Better... I think" he replied, maintaining a flat line on his lips

"Clark said you're in a bad mood"

"I am"

"Well, hopefully, a couple of mangoes will do the trick"

Diana grabbed a ripe yellow mango from the basket. She held it up to him, almost to his face. Bruce was beginning to feel relaxed. He did crave for something sweet after all.

"That's better" she uttered.

Before he knew it, Bruce had erased the scowl and wore his regular 'Bruce' face.

"You know, you look a lot less terrible without the scowl"

Realizing that he hadn't seen himself with a mirror, Bruce touch his face. He could feel a thick bandage on his forehead and a slightly swollen jaw.

"Hold on. I'll get a mirror" said Wonder Woman before disappearing to the bathroom.

Seconds later, she came back with the mirror that hanged on top of the sink. The reflective side showed a man with bandages wrapped around his forehead almost covering most of the hair. A dark eye was visible as well as some stitching on his his neck.

he does look terrible.

Diana put down the mirror.

"Don't worry. You can afford the best plastic surgeons anyway" she joked.

Then suddenly, Diana held her ear with a finger.

"Wonder Woman here... "

Her stance changed. Her expression became serious. It all meant that she was needed to save the world again.

"... I'll be right there" she said, addressing whoever was at the other end of the communicator.

When she was done, Wonder Woman turned to Bruce.

"Sorry. Cheetah's causing a lot of trouble again"

"Don't worry. I'll be right here when you come back" he joked with a straight, but not angered, face.

Diana showed teeth in her grin.

"That's more like it"

Before he could make another joke, Diana waved him good bye and went out of the door in a hurry. He heard no footsteps outside, probably because she flew. That was always faster.

It was a shame she left in a haste. If she stayed a few seconds longer, she would've seen him smile.


	2. Step 2 - Have a Good Night's Rest

Bruce woke up to a slap on his face.

Moments ago, he was digging through burnt rubble. Underneath was a dead body of a boy with traces of red and green clothing. The R insignia was covered in blood. He screamed in despair at the sight.

His eyes opened to a room that was only lit by a desk lamp. A woman was holding his shaking shoulders. Her blue eyes focused on his. Then he remembered that he was in the Watchtower's ward. It was his third night in the hospital bed.

"Bruce, are you alright?"

Bruce had to slow down his breathing first before he spoke.

"I... I'm fine"

Diana sat on the side of the bed and relaxed. He noticed she was wearing yellow pajamas.

"I was passing by when I heard you grunting and shouting"

For Diana, seeing him having a nightmare was not out of the norm anymore. He knew this because travelling long distances in space proved that some sleeping habits can't stay hidden to your teammates. So far, only Clark and Diana knew the chronic fits in the night.

"You dreamed about that night again?.."

He assumed that she was talking about his parents death.

"...About Robin?"

Bruce looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. He wasn't mad; he wondered how she knew. The answer revealed to him when she spoke again.

"I didn't know his name was Jason, but when you shouted it, I assumed..."

Bruce was still silent.

"We don't have to talk about it" she said with care, "His death was just a year ago and I understand if you don't want to talk about it"

Then she placed her hand to his. Her smile made Bruce stop fidgeting. He was grateful that she came to save him instead of the others. Usually, Alfred, his butler and surrogate father, would wake him up and make him tea. A panicked slap from Diana wasn't a bad alternative afterall.

"Since you might not sleep for a while and it's almost midnight..."

Diana handed him a spoon.

"...let's have what people in your world call a 'midnight snack'"

Bruce smirked when he saw the half gallon container of ice cream on the small table beside the lamp. She must have been carrying it when she came to his aid.

"I think I've never seen you wear pajamas before" he said as he watched Diana put chocolate ice cream in his cup.

"Flash gave it to me for Christmas"

He raised an eyebrow.

"I must say... the color suits you."

Diana gave him a pleased look.

"Thanks"

While the stars appeared brightly on the window, they ate ice cream and told each other stories about villains and the league. She had also told him about her small adventures in Themyscira. Bruce told her about a time when he went to Japan to study a unique fighting style. He never had this kind of conversation before with her. It was very odd and felt very normal at the same time. For a moment, he thought he experienced a normalcy that most people have... that he didn't have.

When they got to the most embarrassing moments, both of them enjoyed remembering being turned into gorillas at one time in a mission.

"I was genuinely scared when I saw hair on my arms" she exclaimed.

"I know the feeling. 'Bat Gorilla' won't make the suspicious and cowardly lot pee their pants" he said in a deadpan expression.

Diana laughed with gusto. Bruce joined her but only chuckled. When the princess in PJs finally caught her breath, she looked at him with a museful expression.

"I think...I've never seen you smile this much"

He didn't react for a moment, but then his mouth couldn't help saying it.

"I sometimes do when you're with me. You just weren't looking"

Bruce stopped. He realized he was flirting with her. The involuntary action made him feel uneasy. The next thing he saw was the princess blushing. But instead of shying away from the moment, she climbed on the bed carefully.

"What are you doing?" Bruce asked nervously.

"I'm tired..." she yawned,"...and you're my pillow"

He wasn't expecting that. It's a little awkward but he let her do it anyway. Diana rested her head on his chest after Bruce scooted a bit and put an arm around her shoulders. Her arm hugged his middle. Both lied down, with his chin above her head. For several hours, they stayed that way. They never moved or spoke. They breathed in silence, as if their togetherness was enough.

He started to snooze when the earliest minutes of dawn came. In his shallow slumber, he felt Diana left his side, careful not to step on the leg with a cast. Before she disappeared, he felt her lips on his forehead.

And finally, Bruce slept without the haunting images from the past.


	3. Step 3 - Rebuild Your Immune System

_Author's Note:_

_I know that they call him 'Shazam' nowadays, but I still prefer 'Captain Marvel'. This MIGHT be the last chapter/step, but I'm just gonna leave this as an ongoing story just in case I think of something to add._

_Update: I'm currently trying to write the next one. _

* * *

Thanks to the alien technology that the Martian Manhunter imparted to the League's medical team, Bruce was able to walk with a cane in just a month. He should be happy by now, considering that his recovery is faster than any temporary paraplegic, but the Batman wasn't going to let himself indulge. He was never happy. At least, not entirely.

Through a secret elevator, Bruce entered the bat-cave to work. Ignoring Nightwing's talk on taking a break, he had started working on a new Batsuit a week before. Something that can withstand Doomsday's punches and pressure on the legs, or at least something that can help him survive long enough.

Same as the day before, he opened his big-screened computer and continued to add to his design. Bits and pieces of the prototype was laid on the work table and already making their way to completing a humanoid shape. He only needed to add a few more shielding. For now, the only sound that echoed in the vast bat sanctuary was the taps on the computer keyboard.

After a long while, Alfred Pennyworth came from the stairs that led to the manor.

"We have a visitor, Master Bruce" said the well-dressed, British butler

"Tell him I'm busy

"Sir, _she_ has already made her way to the garden "

She?

Bruce stopped typing and stood up with his cane. He winced while he did it.

Of course, he knew who the visitor was.

"Shall I make some snacks, Sir?" Alfred suggested.

The butler seemed happy to do it. Maybe a little bit too happy.

"Sure" Bruce answered.

The short elevator trip made it very convenient for him to reach one of the living rooms where he could access to the greenery. He arrived in just seconds and beyond a large, arched opening is the garden that the Waynes have maintained for generations. Roses bloomed their best and the sun hit all of the right spots. At the foreground was Diana. She wore her Wonder Woman uniform but added a black jacket. Her back was facing his.

"You could've knocked"

The princess turned around. Her grin was automatic.

"I thought I'd give you a real surprise"

"You could've given my butler a heart attack"

Doing the best he can with his cane, he walked towards the grassy ground.

"Nice too see you making progress"

"The pain comes and goes but I manage"

The princess made an almost-forgot expression and grabbed something from her jacket. It was a 'get well soon' card complete with a random picture of a puppy.

Bruce made an awkward expression.

"You came all the way here... to give me a card?"

"It's from Captain Marvel" she said, "He insisted I gave it to you"

That and she was just in the mood to visit him, he figured.

He was about to question the card but then he remembered that Captain Marvel is a ten year old boy inside a superhero's body. Bruce took the card and placed it in his pocket.

"Wow. The Batman accepting a 'get well soon' card. I should've brought a camera"

He maintained a serious face. She didn't

"You do care for his feelings" she teased again.

"You were expecting me to throw it away?"

"Kinda"

She was the only one laughing. At least the sight of Diana laughing made him lose the seriousness.

Eventually, he asked her to see his new bat suit. She came down with him to the cave through the elevator. The dark, cold cavern was hugely contrasted to the garden. Diana, with her boots, tapped loudly as if playing with the bouncing sounds. She walked towards the darkest parts of the cave, probably wondering what's beyond it. A few bats darted into the air from where she looked. The princess watched the flying rodents as they hang to a new rough surface high above.

While Diana was exploring the cave with her eyes, Bruce has started to suiting up. The prototype that lay on the table soon transferred to its maker. Sounds of the snapping parts drew Wonder Woman's attention.

"I thought you're just gonna show me your design on the suit"

"I am"

Yes he was. Since the snacks are taking longer than expected, he decided to add to the presentation.

He clipped every piece to its joint and every hard shell to the appropriate body part, even to his injured leg. The bandages were now covered with carbon fiber fused with the some rare light metals that cost thousands of his money. The total result is a shiny armor that fit every muscle he flexed. Flexible, yet durable as it seemed. The only parts missing are the bat insigia and the famous horn like ears on the cowl.

"You look like a medieval knight" Diana commented, "Minus the bulky parts"

"Alfred said the same thing"

"Paint it black and it'll be perfect for your other nickname"

She approached him with a judging eye on the armor.

"Can you walk normally?"

Bruce demonstrated. He walked about fifteen paces from the table and to the computer. Diana approved by nodding slowly. Testing his legs again, he walked towards her. Bruce's leg didn't hurt at all because of the specialized braces he installed. Satisfied, he proceeded with the next test.

"Punch me"

The princess raised an eyebrow.

"It's the only way I could test the strength"

She was hesitant at first but with a balled fist she made contact with his chest. Bruce went back a couple of steps. The force would've rendered an unprotected person unconscious.

"You're holding back"

"I don't want to kill you" she half joked.

"Trust me" he uttered, "the armor will absorb the force"

Then she became serious.

"No. I'm not going do it"

"It's just a test"

After a quick moment of silence, she decided on the situation.

"No" she pointed defiantly, "You're crazy"

Diana turned her back at him and walked away to make a period to it. When she pushed the button for the elevator, Bruce spoke again.

"I should've asked Clark to do it"

The Amazon princess stopped. Slowly, she turned around and gave a deadly stare. Her blue eyes showed no patience. He knew too well how to tick her off.

In just a second she leaped into flight with her right fist ready. Faster than he anticipated, she hit him with enough strength that could make the man of steel bruise. The loud punch has startled the bats and made Bruce fly into the air until his back hit the wall of the cave. Finally, he dropped to the ground face first.

Then, Everything went silent for a second.

Waking up from the moment, Diana shouted.

"Bruce!"

She flew to his side and turned him over. Eyes closed, he laid motionless under his intact but dented breastplate. Then, she placed her ear at his mouth.

He's not breathing.

Next, Wonder Woman began ripping the fiber glass and the metals from his chest, her actions flustered, her voice pleaded.

"C'mon Bruce! Wake up!"

She placed he ear on his chest. A sound came.

A heartbeat.

"Well..."

He spoke.

"That was satisfactory.

It was clear that he was perfectly fine when he sat up like nothing happened. Bruce knew that pretending to be dead wasn't mature but he just wanted to see how she'd react.

Diana looked angrier. Before the man could ever say something, the princess slapped him. This time, it was meant to hurt him. Bruce massaged his cheek for a few seconds.

"Sorry" he apologized.

Her face showed the seriousness of it all.

Realizing that he went too far, he held her cheek with his palm.

She smiled... that one smile that made him feel soft inside.

In that moment, he silently vowed. He'll never trick her like that ever again. Not while he's alive. And like a medieval knight, he kissed the back of the princess' hand.

"Ahem!"

Both looked to one side. Alfred appeared at the entrance of the elevator, holding a tray of tuna sandwiches and two glasses of lemon juice.

"I'm pleased to see that my master still has chivalry left in him" the butler commented with a visible smirk.

Bruce's gut told him that his trusted butler delayed on the snacks on purpose.


	4. Step 4 - Know Your Limits

Once again, Batman faced Doomsday in the streets of Gotham.

Since The monster towered over him with size and strength, Batman knew that he'll lose in a man-to-monster brawl. Therefore, he has to do what he has always done.

Lure the monster to a trap.

As carefully and swiftly as he can, the dark knight moved to the right where he had activated a boom tube. The monster growled and tried to crush him with colossal hands as it chased him. Batman's improved agility helped in evasion. He leaped and rolled. He threw smoke bombs at its face. He was moving constantly and never underestimated the speed and ferocity of the alien beast. The tactic was better than what he has previously done. Better than what he has done the first time.

Finally, Doomsday tripped over a wire that Batman instantly attached to two ends. The monstrous figure got vacuumed by the portal in just a few seconds.

The portal closed.

The simulation was finished.

The Gotham environment vanished and suddenly, Batman was in a large white room. His stance relaxed and fatigue took over. It had been his fifth simulation run for the day.

Clark stood at the simulation control room behind the glass window.

"You nailed it again. You wanna have another go?" said Superman's voice from a speaker.

Panting, Batman shook his head.

The man of steel walked out of the control room. The bright red and blue popped out from the solid white of the simulation area. He handed a bottled water. Batman accepted it and drank with large gulps.

"It seems you're back to normal..."

Clark squinted slightly.

"... But your leg hasn't completely healed"

Batman gave one of his glares.

"I didn't ask you to x-ray me"

Superman crossed his arms and gave a serious look.

"You should be on a break. Nightwing told me that you started on patrol already"

It was only a few days ago that he had started walking without the cane. J'onn recommended that he give himself a couple of weeks before doing business as usual, but the Bat couldn't wait that long. His city needed him.

Bruce stood imposingly, neither admitting his stubbornness nor denying it.

"Have it your way, Bruce" Clark finally said, "Just try to tone it down at least. You're forgetting that you're only human"

Batman went silent as usual. He would never waste time defending himself.

The caped crusader appreciated that Clark was concerned, accepting that the Kryptonian was the only one in the league he could consider as his best friend. But pride wouldn't let him show that to his face.

Clark looked at the digital clock above the doorway. His face showed a slight horror.

"I have to go. Lois is gonna kill me"

He was late for his date.

Superman waved Bruce goodbye and zoomed out of the simulation room in seconds.

When it was clear that he was now all alone, Bruce had finally let himself become human. As the pain from his leg began to surge, he sat down on the cold floor. Sweat dropped while he controlled his breathing. Meditation is the key, he told himself. He began removing the armor on his right lower leg. He realized that the braces provided comfort for only a couple of the simulation runs. Five times and the pain comes back no matter what. He didn't experience this when he was in patrol because it wasn't as strenuous as the simulation scenario he picked. The limits of his bat suit were now more evident.

He massaged the exposed skin of his lower leg, while he thought of what to add to the suit. But mostly, he just rested. To have the utmost comfort, he even removed his cowl. He felt cool and content. No one will barge into the room because he had remotely locked the door with the controls on his gauntlet. No one can come in... unless someone would override the door's manual system. He knew that only a very few people can do such a thing.

Wonder Woman came through the overridden door wearing jogging pants, a shirt that showed the logo of a sports brand, a pony tail and her famous bracelets. She brought bottles of water and a small towel. Obviously, she was going to do some workout with the simulation.

"The thing's broken again" she muttered to herself as she walked to the control room.

She hasn't noticed him yet.

Diana wasn't as tech savvy as Batman but she learned a few techy things since her stay here in the Watchtower. Bruce knew this because he taught her some of those things, including how to override some of the doors in the Watchtower in case of emergencies.

She was a fast learner, he concluded.

"It's not broken. I locked it" he said.

Her eyes spotted him and her direction changed. The princess approached him with an amused face.

"I'm beginning to think that you have a habit of waiting for Clark to leave before you come in to see me" Bruce commented.

"It's purely coincidental"

He didn't believe in coincidences.

She looked at his bare lower leg and pursed her lips.

"Clark's right. You're a masochist"

"I thought he said I punish myself too much"

She put a hand in her waist.

"Is there a difference?" she said with a smile.

Wonder Woman sat beside him and gave him the towel.

"You should be working out with regular clothes" she said while she inspect his suit with her sight.

Bruce wondered if she searched for dent that she made on his chest during their 'test' in the batcave.

"I needed to test the suit more" he calmly retorted.

They sat there quietly, not knowing exactly what to talk about next. Then after a while, her face lit up.

"I've got an idea"

Diana stood up as quickly as possible and flew towards the control room. Bruce could see through the glass window that she was pushing some buttons onto the settings panel. Soon, the white room turned into a beach paradise. Palm trees loomed over him. The ocean waves gently pushed themselves on to the sandy shores and back again. The sun appeared to sink below the horizon.

It was breathtaking.

The simulation settings can setup different environments for practice battles. The database included existing places. Bruce recognized this one as Themyscira, the home of immortal women trained as warriors. The home of Diana, princess of the Amazons.

She came back to his side, eager to see his reaction.

"Not bad" said the man in the bat suit.

She grinned at him.

"I just thought you needed to relax while watching the perfect view. Good thing it's not the real thing, or else my Amazon sisters would've speared you" she chuckled.

He agreed silently, putting his hands behind him to support his back.

"Whenever I miss my mother, I come here and set the environment for Themyscira"

He could sense the sadness in her tone. Looking back at the sun, he imagined what it would feel like being exiled from your home. He realized that he experienced the gist of it recently. Temporarily taking a long break for patrolling the nightly streets was sort of an exile. Gotham needed him every night. He sorely longed for his return.

The wind blew and her hair moved away from her face. Her beauty made Bruce feel responsible for her sadness for some reason. She didn't deserve the exile. He wanted her to smile again.

"Wait here" he said as he heaved to stand on his two feet.

Limping a bit, he ran towards the control room. He punched the right numbers and pushed the right buttons to set another environment.

Immediately, Theymiscira was replaced by a room full of of people in formal wear. Some ate at tables, some danced to the music. The window showed the Eiffel tower.

Bruce saw the recognition in her eyes as he approached her. She still remembered their dance in Paris. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

"Is this where we...?"

"Yes"

The smile on her face was huge. She stood up with her hands held together behind her.

Batman made his megawatt 'Brucie' smile and extended his hand.

"May I have this dance?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed.

She took his hand and stepped forward to close the gap. Then, he held the small of her back. Their feet moved naturally to the music.

"Why is _this_ in the simulation database?" she asked as the swayed.

"When Clark begged me to give him some dance lessons for his date with Lois, I created this environment"

'You? Dance lessons?" she giggled

"I only taught him the basics"

"You danced with him?"

"No. I gave him a robot partner.

She laughed. He loved seeing her laugh.

They danced around the room, without bumping into the holographic images of the people around as if they were real. The scene would've been perfect if he wore his tux and she wore her black dress, but the batsuit and jogging pants didn't ruin it for them.

It was a unique trip to memory lane.

Right after she twirled, the leg pain was returning.

"Are you alright?"

"I guess my leg doesn't want me to do the Tango" he said lightly.

It was a sign that they have to stop.

The princess sighed. Bruce pushed a switch on his gauntlet. And then, one by one, the elements of the environment faded. Once again, they're at the white room, alone and undisturbed.

Diana still held his hand. She didn't want to let go. She smiled at him again.

"Sorry... I pushed your limits" she said.

"Don't be" he uttered.

She held the back of his head and he leaned forward.

But then he stopped.

He tilted his head a bit and aimed for her cheek instead. She embraced him soon after the contact.

Finally, she let go. The princess still gave him her best grin and left the room with her items.

Bruce assumed that she understood why he had to stop himself. In the past, he told her why...

_I'm a rich kid with issues... lots of issues._

All alone in the simulation area, he held his head down. His heart felt pain for the first time, in a long time.

* * *

_Author's Note:_

_After I finish my work, errands, etc. I'll be writing the next one which will probably be the last chapter. _


	5. Step 5 - Learn from Your Mistakes

_Author's Note: _

_This story was so hard to end that I ended up writing this chapter too long and with less fluff than I have planned this to have. I felt like this chapter was messy, so I apologize if you find this horrible... I'm not really sure if you will like it or not, but I tried my best to make it all work with the other chapters. I'll try to edit the grammatical mistakes later. _

* * *

It's easy to start a riot in Black Gate prison. All you have to do is punch a thug and let testosterone take its course. If a full scale riot takes place that's when getting your freedom becomes ridiculously easy. Unless, of course, a man dressed as a flying rodent shows up.

Batman's right boot slammed on the side of a man wearing an orange jumpsuit. He felt good about it, knowing that his bones are completely healed. When the prisoner was out, the dark knight turned to the opposite side, creating a swirl motion of his cape. Five more convicts faced him. Each of them became nervous the second they saw his face.

That was because the Bat was smiling.

Not really a wide, cheery smile, but a smirk. As unbelievable as it sounds, It was enough to make criminals question his sanity. Every crook knew that the Bat never smiled. So generally, Batman smiling meant danger, danger and more danger. Of course, what came after it proved the idea right. The five prisoners went down with Batman's swift punches and kicks. He timed the whole scene in his mind. Five seconds. One second for each thug. He wasn't even breaking a sweat. Good, he thought. He'll have a lot more of that for the others. Confident of his abilities, Batman challenged himself to take out all who came to attack him.

Ten convicts didn't look as scared as the ones before them. They were more on stupidity's side than bravery. Bruce wiped off the smirk and made a fighting stance. But a few feet in, a red blur breeze through and knocked down all if his opponents.

"You're welcome" the Flash said.

Batman blankly stared at the scarlet speedster. Wally spoke again. He greeted Batman with the usual silliness

"Deep down, I know you're happy to see me"

Again, Batman didn't react. He was satisfied that the cavalry came in time. When Flash ran to punch more of thugs, he saw her.

The golden lasso tied a bunch of the orange clothed and swung them hard to a wall, producing a lot of pain for the ones inside the loop. She collected her lasso and landed a few feet from Batman. He nodded to greet her.

"Are there more of them?" Wonder Woman asked.

"I've trapped several groups in the left wing. There are a few others that hid in the weaponry" he replied.

Immediately, the princess and the speedster charged ahead to the weaponry. They left Batman all alone. Remaining motionless, he watched Diana fly away from him.

Bruce could't help but think about their moment together a month ago. He still felt her hand in his palm as they danced to a familiar song... the last painful smile she made before she left the simulation room.

The pain was mutual.

And then, he reminded himself that he can't think of that anymore. It was the right decision to end it... whatever it is. This was the life he chose. She'll only be his colleague and he'd keep his distance. And that was enough.

After a short minute, Diana and Flash came back victorious. They turned over the convicts to the authorities and departed from the prison with the Javelin that Batman came with. As usual, they came back to the Watchtower with more work waiting. It was seven in the morning and Batman was assigned for monitor duty. Diana was called for a typhoon that hit the Micronesian islands and left immediately. Unlike them, Flash just stood by and hanged around the Monitor Womb.

'Geez, Bats!" Flash exclaimed, "I'm starting to think that you're like those sparkly vampires"

Wally has always believed that Bruce didn't sleep at all. That's not true of course. He was just a man and like any man, he needed sleep. But today, he didn't get a minute of shut eye. Flash did the math which was probably based on the multiple requests for assistance on standby that Bruce had sent the Watchtower and his help in Black Gate.

The work began yesterday morning when Batman clashed with the Royal Flush gang. Having no time for breaks after, the dark knight went on to stop the Joker from bombing a theme park which took longer than expect. After that, he went to the Wayne Enterprises board meeting (as Bruce Wayne, of course), which lasted about three hours. Soon after, he had to rendezvous with Superman at the cave for some mission involving Lex Luthor. When it was night, he went on patrol. Next was the Black Gate riot. He hadn't even realized that it was morning again until he saw the time on the Javelin's digital clock.

He knew Alfred will scold him.

As he logged into the monitor womb's main computer, Bruce ignored the speedster. Flash stayed and seemed to be looking for something.

"Where is it..." he muttered.

Wally crouched and grabbed something from under the computer console. It was a bag of chips.

"Nothing like a week's worth of stash" Wally uttered before devouring his first potato chip.

Which reminded him... he hasn't eaten since the early breakfast yesterday. But as usual, Bruce shrugged it off. His work was important. It was his life. And frankly, it was only thing keeping him from thinking of Diana.

When Batman's shift was over, he beamed back to the manor to get some shut eye. As expected, Alfred made some eloquently snide remarks. Bruce scowled hearing it but he heeded ever word. Sleeping should be easy, but his mind wouldn't allow it to be easy. Bruce fought the insomnia but ended up losing. He sat on a stool in his kitchen, eating the left over sandwich that he quickly found in the fridge.

The clock said that it was eleven in the morning. He counted the hours and concluded that he hasn't slept for about twenty eight hours.

Again he shrugged it off.

"An insomnia attack, Master Bruce?"

His butler finally caught him.

"Yes. Can't seem to beat it"

Bruce stood up after his last bite on the sandwich. He turned to Alfred.

"What do you recommend for remedy?"

"According to my experience, Chamomile tea and a really nice, long break..."

Judging by the slight difference from the usual tone, the butler wasn't done in giving him the education.

"... or perhaps, you ought to accept that you, no matter how well equipped, are only human"

"Have you been talking to Clark?"

Bruce brought back the scowl and Alfred just looked at him with a small welcoming smile

"No, sir. But I am pleased that Master Kent seem to share the same sentiment"

Sometimes, he really hated how older man sided with the Kryptonian.

Alfred's wishes on his master won't be fulfilled anytime soon because Batman was needed again. Some convicts have successfully escaped Belle Reve Penitentiary and he had to help track them down immediately. In a span if two days, he was able to catch five fugitives. Two were still at large, namely Cheetah and Clayface. Both were extremely hard to find, especially Clayface. Eventually, the dark knight had to attend to other cases and shelved the hunt.

In those days, Bruce haven't had an hour of sleep. There are times that he dozed off but then horrifying images emerged from the depths of his mind within minutes into slumber He saw his dead partner again, his parents and even Diana. All of them were in horrible states. As always, he had to wake up to stop the dreams. Most of the time Alfred had to shake him out of it.

It was six days after that a few have started to notice Batman's sleepless schedule.

"Sleeping pills" a voice suggested.

Batman was preoccupied with one of the computers in the Monitor Womb. He was setting it to collect feeds of surveillance cameras across America.

"Huh?"

"I said sleeping pills. You should take sleeping pills"

Green Lantern sat in one of the chairs that faced computer consoles. He wasn't using any of the equipment.

"I've tried"

Bruce was passed the sleeping pills stage. Obviously, they didn't work. And he's not going to try again because he doesn't want to get careless and die of overdose.

"You gotta try something" said Lantern.

"Like what?" Bruce spat. He wasn't in the mood to hear some tips that John might've googled

Green Lantern sighed.

"Like slowing this down for a while. You've been working actively twice as much without breaks and then you still patrol Gotham every night. You even took a second shift for monitor duty"

"So?"

"So!? You. Need. To. Stop"

John's voice was loud and clear. He sounded a little frustrated too. Superman must've given up trying to talk to him that he gave the responsibility to the Green Lantern. Unfortunately, the ring can't snap the Bat out of his workaholism.

"Aren't you worried that you might die? I've read that someone died of sleep deprivation. Extreme exhaustion even"

"It's been only over a week"

"And it's getting worse. Your stamina's off. I saw you fight Death Stroke yesterday. It's the first time I saw you sloppy"

Batman started on the silent treatment. He was good at it and the Lantern knew it. Both men let the silence fill the room for a while. Batman ran the facial recognition software on the surveillance feeds and set it to active search. It got a match within seconds.

Batman stood up and started to walk towards he door.

"You're fighting to forget her, aren't you?" Lantern uttered out of the blue.

Bruce stopped his stride.

"I know there's something going on between you and Diana and... don't worry. I haven't said a word to anybody" John said with a smirk.

He could really feel how proud the Lantern was when he finally got his attention. Some time in the past, John had jokingly asked Bruce about his relationship with Diana. Batman denied it, but it seemed that the Lantern never believed his denial.

" Recently...something... happened to the you both... The way you avoid her and the fact that she's got a date tonight... I'm not gonna buy another denial.

"Then don't"

Batman left the room knowing what to do for the evening.

The secret to lasting a week without sleep was the organic tablets that Bruce had acquired after the League's encounter with Dr. Destiny, a crook that can deliver telepathic tortures through dreams. It was, of course, part of his emergencies if ever someone attempted the same attack on the League. This case was different though. Batman was taking it so he'll stay focused enough to do his job. Since it was useless to fight the unbeatable insomnia, he might as well do something useful for the time being. The tablets helped reduce the symptoms of sleep deprivation and they were safe to take frequently, but they didn't give him the energy he needed.

Which means that, slowly, Batman's body was shutting down despite being awake enough to do everything. It was only waking his mind not his body.

On the rooftop of a three-story building, Batman perched near the edge. With his specialized lenses, he watched the people on a fancy restaurant across the street. There, he found Diana with her date near a window. She was wearing a dark blue dress that stopped just above her knees. Her hair flowed freely on her shoulders. Her bracelets added to the style. The Amazon princess was radiant.

Her date wasn't so mysterious. Agent King Faraday, the Justice League's liaison to the government, had an eye on Wonder Woman since day one. He had asked her to go out with him a few times before. Diana rejected him every time.

It's no surprise that she gave him a chance now.

The white haired agent in a special tux laughed with Diana as they ate steak and drank wine. Bruce suppressed his urge to throw a batarang at the guy. Despite the distance and the wind resistance, he could really do it...But he's not here to spy on dates. He's here to catch a furry criminal.

Cheetah had been roaming around the city in disguise but the active facial recognition search tracked her every move continuously whenever she appeared on surveillance videos. The last time the software spotted her was thirty minutes ago, a few blocks from the restaurant. The same restaurant that Diana and Agent Faraday chose to dine in tonight.

There are no coincidences.

For sure, Cheetah has planned for revenge in prison. Very Typical. Sure, the female meta-human can throw a good punch, but the Amazon has a bigger force. Her date can also help. King Faraday is also an expert fighter, well trained in certain martial arts and...

...left-handed.

"Zoom" Batman ordered his lenses.

The agent was drinking wine with his right hand. Diana wouldn't know. She doesn't see agent that much, apart from the quick glimpses in the Watchtower and rare team-ups.

"Thermal"

The lenses switched to thermal imaging. Diana's temperature readings vary in different parts of the body, which is normal. Faraday's, however, were completely even on all parts.

Without hesitation Bruce fired the grappling gun to the building across the street. When the hook was secured, he jumped off and swung directly at a window. The force broke the glass and threw him just close enough to the dating pair.

Some gasped, others screamed. Who wouldn't? A giant bat has just crashed into the restaurant.

The landing was rougher that he thought. He almost lost balance.

"Batman?"

Diana stood up. So did Faraday.

"Get away from her!" Bruce growled with a batarang at hand.

Wonder Woman seemed angry.

"What's the meaning of this?" she shouted.

No time to discuss. He threw the super charged batarang at Faraday. It hit dead center on his middle and electrocuted the man instantly. Faraday screamed and dropped on the ground. Soon, flesh started to melt and change color. It was turning into mud.

Diana was shocked and began to back away from her date.

Faraday's screams became growls. His true form was showing. People screamed at the sight and ran panicking towards the exits.

"Clayface!" Wonder Woman exclaimed.

Out of instinct she balled her hand and made a prepared stance. At this point, she made it to Batman's side. She turned to him.

"How did you know he was an imposter?"

"I knew your date pretty well"

Batman made a fighting stance in case Clayface overpowered the charge. Suddenly, a flying knife knocked off the batarang on Clayface's abdomen.

The mud creature rebuilt itself and revealed his true size and form. Clayface was now twice the size of both superheroes. His hands grew bigger and his face turned into hideous pile of mud with two holes on top as eyes and one big hole for the mouth.

"It looks like we have a double date" the villain uttered as the very last civilians charged towards the door.

The restaurant was now unoccupied, except for the area that pairs of two sides stood.

It was a cue for the other half of the criminal duo to appear. Out from the shadowy part was a slender person wearing a hooded cloak. The disguise was taken off and revealed a woman covered with fur and spots. Her cat eyes show confidence.

"They say revenge is sweet. I say it's sweeter when you have someone who can pulverize princesses wearing shiny bracelets" said the female crook, "Surprisingly, the flying rodent was stupid enough to join"

Cheetah's pose turned from tamed into a deadly and wild animal. Bruce and Diana readied themselves.

"Clayface darling, do you want the bat or the the princess?

Clayface's huge mouth made a grin.

"Our date wasn't finished" said the mud monster.

"Alright. I was hoping to go on a bat hunting anyway"

The two lunged at the heroes in front of them. Clayface created a huge anvil on one of his hands and pushed forward towards the Amazon princess. Cheetah attacked with ferocious speed. Her claws almost nabbed Batman's face as he try to evade them.

Bruce block a few jabs before the claws scraped his shoulder. His movements weren't fast enough so he resorted to using his batarangs and smoke bombs. It worked for a while before Cheetah overpowered him with a powerful kick. He dropped on the ground and was very winded

The Batman was losing. He was being sloppy.

As a last resort, he threw a canister of sleeping gas at the vengeful woman before she made her final attack.

"Diana!" Bruce called.

As she blocked Clayface's giant anvil hands, Wonder Woman immediately saw the spraying gas. Without one quick move she punched the monster with all her might and darted away from the gas as it spread quickly. Batman wore a mask to protect himself. Too focused on her opponent, it was too late for Cheetah to stay clear of it or hold her breath. Clayface, however, wasn't vulnerable to gasses.

When Cheetah dropped on the floor unconscious, the mud monster growled furiously. Bruce realized that these two fell in love in prison, or at least she made the monster fall in love with her and used him to escape. Nevertheless... prison romances were always strange. Lovers or not, they're still criminals.

Like a freight train, Clayface charged towards the dark knight. Before he could do damage, a powerful kick from Wonder Woman defaced the shape-shifting pile of mud. The instigator fell back. Quickly, Bruce called Diana and threw a circular device to her. She caught it with her right hand.

"Punch it to him" Batman ordered as he slowly got up from his position.

Holding the device, Diana quickly punched it into Clayface's abdomen and left it there. She stood back and watched the monster freeze from inside out. Clayface made a loud growling noise before finally turning into a large popsicle.

Diana sighed in relief. Batman approached her.

"So much for the date" she commented.

Bruce just stood in silence. The princess looked at him. She seemed to be expecting him to say something.

Instead of conveying it to words, Batman move closer and locked his lips with hers. The world faded away for a moment. All Bruce knew that he was longing for it and so was she. The kiss ended when both had to catch their breath.

Genuinely, she smiled at him with joy. It was a sight for sore eyes.

Unfortunately for Bruce, his vision became blurry soon after.

"Are you alright?"

He felt her hand catch his head before finally passing out.

* * *

The IV on his vein was making his skin itchy. Bruce wanted to scratched it so bad.

"Why am I not surprised" Clark muttered.

Superman looked at the man on the hospital bed with his best expression of disappointment. Wonder Woman sat on the edge of the bed while she read a book.

"You've just healed your leg and now it's sleep deprivation plus extreme exhaustion" the man of steel complained.

Bruce made a smirk. The Kryptonian frowned.

"Don't get all smug about it. Lucky for you, Diana was there to get you back to the Watchtower"

When Bruce didn't respond, Diana chuckled.

"And you're supposed to be angry about this" Clark pointed at Diana.

"I am angry" Diana said, "It's just that watching you get mad is amusing"

She was now laughing.

"Diana, I'm serious"

Watching Clark trying to stay mad was indeed amusing. Bruce chuckled at the way Superman's face conveyed irritation. He looked constipated.

"OK. I'm just... I'm done with this. Just talk to him before he tries to kill himself again"

Clark said before he left the hospital room.

"Ugh. I thought he'd never leave" Diana uttered.

She sat closer to Bruce. Her face became moderately serious.

"He is right, Bruce. You gotta take care of yourself"

The frown on her face made Bruce feel very regretful, but he was happy to find out that letting her go was not as healthy as he thought. His mind and body nagged him of his mistake. It was insomnia at first, but later, it became something more.

"I know" he said plainly.

"Promise me you won't tire yourself to death before you kiss me" she said with a smirk.

"Promise" he replied with a small smile.

Diana nodded to acknowledge his word.

"Ok then," the princess began as she stretched her arms, "What do want to eat? mangoes or oranges?

And then, they were back to step one.

**THE END**


End file.
